U
AROUND
Initiative to provide over $40 million for underserved
U
nion is partnering with the Schuler Education Foundation to invest over $40 million to enroll significantly more low-income students, the College’s latest effort to advance educational equity and opportunity. Union is among the first five schools selected to participate in the Schuler Access Initiative, which aims to enroll more underserved students at the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. Jack Schuler, co-founder of the Schuler Education Foundation, will spend $500 million over the next 10 years as part of the initiative. He wants to include up to 20 liberal arts schools that will match the funds, for a potential investment of $1 billion. Union plans to raise $20 million over the next five years, which, with Schuler’s match, will provide the College with $40 million in scholarship grant funding to recruit and enroll underserved students. In addition to Union, the other schools
Jack Schuler
4
UNION COLLEGE | FALL 2021
chosen to date include Bates College, Carleton College, Kenyon College and Tufts University. “A liberal arts education is unique to the United States and has proven to be a great foundation for success in postgraduate studies,” Schuler said. “You become a citizen of the world with a liberal arts education. You become a better doctor or lawyer or engineer with the fundamentals of a liberal arts education.” The federal Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students. The College supports an average of 75 students with Pell Grants in every new class enrolled. Most Pell Grants are awarded to students with a total family annual income below $20,000. Beginning in 2022-23, the Schuler grants will allow the College to add nine
students who are eligible for Pell Grants in each of the first two years of the 10-year project. The number of additional students will increase to 10 in subsequent years. President David R. Harris said the Pell-eligible students at Union thrive before and after graduation. Compared to the general student population rate, students who receive Pell Grants have a higher persistence rate and a comparable four-year graduation rate at Union. Persistence measures those students who returned to college for their second year. “They often are among the highest achieving students in the classroom and are leaders across campus,” Harris said. “There is every reason to believe that if we could support more of these students they also would develop into leaders across multiple tomorrows. We are grateful for the Schuler Education Foundation and our
